The European Space Agency’s Euclid Space Telescope has captured detailed images of the universe for the first time, taking an important step in its mission to create the largest 3D map of the universe.
This breathtaking image, released on October 15, 2024, shows a vast mosaic of stars and galaxies, offering a glimpse into the mysteries of stars. dark matter and dark energy The telescope aims to elucidate this.
208 gigapixel cosmic mosaic
The first release of Euclid includes a mosaic of 208 gigapixels of data collected during a two-week observation period from March 25 to April 8, 2024. ESA describes this first image as “just the first piece of the puzzle.” Only 1% of the area Euclid would ultimately explore during its six-year mission. Despite this small portion, this mosaic is already a monumental achievement, providing insight into both nearby stars within Earth. milky way and over 14 million distant galaxies.
“This amazing image is the first part of a map that will reveal more than a third of the sky in six years.” Valeria PettorinoESA’s Euclid project scientist. “Although this is only 1% of the map, it is packed with a variety of sources that will help scientists discover new ways to describe the universe.”
The area mapped to this image spans approximately 132 square degrees. southern skywhich is more than 500 times the area of the full moon. By the time Euclid completes his mission, it will have created a three-dimensional map of the universe showing galaxies up to 10 billion light-years away.
Unraveling the dark universe
Euclid’s main mission was to improve modern cosmology, especially dark matter and dark energywhich together account for about 95% of the contents of the universe. This telescope has a 600 megapixel camera and near infrared spectrometer measure redshifta key factor in determining the distance and speed at which galaxies move away from us. By analyzing these movements, Euclid maps how the universe has expanded over time, providing important data about that process. dark energy We will accelerate this expansion.
“Euclidean is looking at the universe in a completely new way and will be conducting a huge census of galaxies.” Luz Angela Garcia Peñalosaa cosmologist at ECCI University in Colombia. “Images that reveal information about the distribution of galaxies in the large-scale structure of the universe will provide some information about the nature of the dark side of the universe.”
One of the striking features of the published images is the high level of detail of individual galaxies and galaxy clusters. for example, Galaxy cluster Abel 3381is located 678 million light-years away and was photographed with incredible resolution. This allows scientists to zoom in on specific regions of the universe and examine intricate details of galactic structure.
Galactic cirrus clouds
Euclid’s camera also captured a rare phenomenon known as . galactic cirrus cloudsa faint cloud of gas and dust that appears as light blue streaks among the stars in the Milky Way. These clouds are similar to cirrus clouds in Earth’s atmosphere, reflecting the Milky Way’s light and glowing brightly in the infrared spectrum. Euclid’s ability to visualize these features highlights the telescope’s excellent sensitivity to both visible and infrared light.
In fact, Euclid’s ability to capture details in both nearby and distant objects allows scientists to deeply “zoom” into specific areas of the mosaic. In one example, a spiral galaxy 420 million light-years away is shown in such detail that researchers can zoom in 600 times to examine its structure.
Euclid’s future milestones
This first image is just a glimpse of what’s to come. Euclid’s first year of cosmological data is scheduled to be released to the scientific community in 2026, with more detailed maps to be released as the mission progresses. In March 2025, the 53 Square Degree Segment will be released with a preview of the survey. euclid deep field The field will provide scientists with even more data to analyze.
As Euclid’s mission continues, it is expected to provide deeper insights into the structure of the universe, how it evolved, and how it evolved. dark matter and dark energy Shape the universe. García Peñalosa said, “This is just the beginning of what we can see in Euclid’s life. Certainly, the best is yet to come! I am confident that this will clarify our understanding.
